Not So Lucky
by houseprodigy
Summary: Ed is sharing the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, and things get a liiiittle out of hand... RoyxEd
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was originally just supposed to be another holiday-themed one-shot, but it actually strayed from the original concept and turned into a small monster. At any rate, I hope you like it. (Please like it…)**

**Disclaimer: This isn't mine. The story isn't even mine, obviously, since it seems to have gotten away from me. Maybe I should make some "missing" posters…Have You Seen My Story??? Call 555-OOPS.**

People change when they move. It's almost inevitable, the way some people shift from one gear to the next as their locations change.

Some things, however, never change. Some emotions never falter, always maintaining a steady mode of existence.

One such emotion is that of the ever-elusive unrequited love. Such an emotion is a burden to suffer, for it never truly alters its form. One feeling such an emotion is to be considered one poor, sad little bastard.

Edward Elric was certain that he was such a person, for that emotion ran through him like an immovable river current, threatening to drown him with its power. His unrequited love for a certain Flame Alchemist threatened to choke him like a thick fog until he either passed out or died from his own depression.

Yes, that feeling of love unreturned had never changed about him.

However, living in Germany for the better part of a few years had definitely changed something in the small blond alchemist.

Ed loved to drink. He wasn't an _alcoholic,_ per say…he just liked to drink. A lot. The good thing was that he was only a social drinker by nature and couldn't stand to drink alone. Therefore, he rarely got brain-pummeling drunk.

He just came close a few times.

Okay, so he sometimes managed to get to the point where he forgot his own name and all events of the previous night.

He was just glad that he'd never woken up in any awkward situations only explainable/excusable by the effects of a large amount of alcohol in such a small body. Of course, Edward would never actually _admit_ to being small, so he'd often find other excuses as to why he couldn't hold his liquor.

All he could say was thank God for Alfons, and Al after him. If not for both Als, he was most certain that he would have ended up in one of those previously-mentioned awkward situations.

Since making it back to the "right" side of the Gate, Ed had lightened up on his indulgence in alcohol, merely because of the lack of opportunity. That, and Mustang had been running him up and down the countryside on small errands to supposedly "help pay restitutions" for the mess created the last time he'd been home.

Damn the military. What was he supposed to do about it? It's not like he'd actually _wanted_ Eckhart to go all schizoid and demolish half of Central!

_Don't forget the damage done in Liore as well,_ his conscience echoed.

Double damn. Ed shook his head, crossing his mismatched appendages. Since when was he accountable for everything, anyway? Maybe that bastard Mustang just liked to use him as a work horse to try and compensate for all the slacking off he liked to do.

Edward shook his head in frustration. He was nobody's whipping boy, that was certain, and he'd be damned before he let anyone use him as such.

"That's it!" he shouted out in a seemingly-random manner, causing Al's head to snap over to him. He paced the length of their small military dorm room. "I'm not going to let that arrogant jackass tell me what to do anymore! You know what I'm going to do, Al? I'm not going in tomorrow. I'm not even going to call! We'll see what that smug bastard has to say about _that_!"

The younger Elric simply shook his head in pity. Sometimes, his brother was a real hothead, and he almost always let it get the best of him. That usually meant trouble for the both of them.

"Brother," he said softly, trying not to become the target of his sibling's seething rage, "tomorrow is Saturday. You don't have to go in, anyway." At the risk of invoking more irritation, he let a small smile flit across his lips.

Ed paused, looking at the calendar that hung upon the wall. Sure enough, tomorrow just _had_ to be Saturday. He sighed in defeat. Once again, he was so angry that he missed the obvious. One would think he would have grown out of that by now.

"Since you're looking up there, what is the date tomorrow?" Al asked curiously, still looking in that general direction, as if trying to look _through _his brother to see for himself.

"Um…let's see here…," Edward muttered, guiding his finger over to the date. "It's March 17th."

As the words left his lips, a smile formed in their wake, leaving Edward looking awkwardly pleased. He turned and flopped in a nearby chair, mentally making plans for the following day.

Recognizing the familiar expression of impending mischief upon his brother's otherwise angelic features, Alphonse began to squirm nervously.

"Brother…what are you thinking?" he asked timidly, as if he really didn't want to know.

Ed glanced over at his worried-looking younger brother. He might as well have been wringing his hands and pacing the room, with the look he was giving Ed.

"Just thinking about a holiday I used to celebrate over in Munich…," the older alchemist mused, staring thoughtfully into a corner of the room.

Al's expression quickly transformed from one of concern to one of curiosity. He loved hearing about things that his brother had done while they were on separate sides of the Gate. Edward had led a semi-peaceful life in Germany, which had brought out an entirely different side to him that not many got to see. Those who did witness this part of Edward Elric's personality still didn't see it often.

"What kind of holiday, Brother?" he asked, encouraging his sibling to continue.

Edward sighed, remembering the festivities from years past. "It's called St. Patrick's Day, Al. At first, I thought it was some crackpot religious holiday, but Alfons quickly set me straight on that one. It is actually a religious holiday, but it doesn't call for offerings or anything like that. A bunch of guys would go down to the beer hall and drink until most of them couldn't stand. And all the _green_…I've never seen so much green in my life, Al! It was just one giant moving sea of green-clad people, most of whom could barely use their own two legs to stand."

Al cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Sounds like an excuse for people to act irresponsibly to me."

Ed rolled his eyes and shook his head at his brother's predictable response. "It's more than that, Al. It's…hard to explain. Maybe you'll get it one of these days." He smiled fondly at a passing thought. "Alfons used to say the same thing, really. He always said the same thing." He stood and walked over to his bed, sprawling out amidst the mess of blankets. "Maybe I'll show you one of these days."

Al smiled at his older brother as he curled up in his own bed and drifted to sleep. "Yeah…maybe…one of these days…"


	2. Chapter 2

Edward woke up to find that Al was gone, leaving only a note saying he'd gone to look for something and would be back in a few hours to explain his absence. While awaiting his brother's return, Ed sat and read a book to pass the time, occasionally sparing a glance towards the calendar on the wall. His mind would wander to some distant memory long since passed, and he'd sigh heavily, as if trying to relieve some sort of heavy burden.

It didn't seem to matter which side of the Gate Ed was on; his mind always managed to drift off to a place other than where he was.

Breaking out of his latest reminiscent stupor, he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was getting rather late in the evening, and still Al hadn't returned. He was certain that it was nothing to be concerned over, but that didn't stop him from worrying. He stood, stretching, and grabbed his black coat. He scratched a quick note where Al's had been and headed out the door, hoping maybe he would find his brother nearby.

After searching long and hard for his younger sibling, and to no avail, Ed finally gave up, settling instead for walking into what was fast becoming his new favorite hangout. The bar smelled of smoke and dust, but it reminded him of the one back in Germany, and that comforted him somehow.

He sat at the bar and ordered a stiff drink, feeling the familiar melancholy beginning to set in. For some unexplainable reason, he at times as if something was missing, like there was a part of his life left incomplete. He could never tell if it was the fact that he missed the friend with whom he shared his life for those few precious years in Germany, or the fact that his endless adoration for one raven-haired military man would always remain one-sided.

As he ordered a few more drinks, he saw the object of said affection enter the bar, causing him to down each drink in rapid succession. By the time he'd gotten the last one down, he was starting to feel a little lightheaded, causing him to have second thoughts about being so quick to consume the drinks before him.

Ed kept a wary eye on the man, watching as he crossed the room to pull out a chair at a nearby table. Part of him had felt a little disappointed that the recently-reappointed colonel hadn't noticed his presence and at least come over to fling an insult at him, but the other part of him (the more reasonable and far more sober part) had been screaming "please don't let him see me, please don't let him see me, please please please!!!"

The blond scoffed at his own ridiculous antics. Since when had he started acting like some kind of crazed, lovesick schoolgirl?

"He's probably on a date or something anyway," he muttered irritably, somehow remaining oblivious-yet-aware of his own jealousy.

Thankfully, no one was around to witness this behavior, for Edward would have had a serious case of foot-in-mouth syndrome after seeing that, after half-an-hour, the solemn uniformed man remained the only occupant at the table.

The metal-limbed alchemist thus drew two conclusions: a) the infamous Roy Mustang had lost his charm over the years and had been stood up, or b) he was simply out for a drink, not a date. The latter looked more likely.

Still, feeling slightly sympathetic (a symptom, no doubt, of the after-affects of slamming down alcohol faster than Al on a kitty), Ed took his drink and walked over to where said lone alchemist sat.

Roy glanced up to see a mildly-sloshed subordinate holding a drink and staring at him.

"Was there…something you needed, Fullmetal?" he said slowly, unsure of what to do in this kind of situation. Sure, had it been any of his other subordinates, he would have simply tipped his drink and invited them to join him. This particular lower-ranking officer, however, was one that had been on his mind a little too often as of late, and seeing the young man standing before him, looking three drinks short of the state of smashdom.

Ed simply shook his head and gestured to Roy's state of dress. "Nah. Hey, why are you still in uniform? Don't you have any kind of civilian dress?"

Roy mentally rolled his eyes in irritation. Sometimes the boy—_man,_ he reminded himself. _He's a man now_—drove him up the proverbial wall with his simple-minded comments. "Yes, I do. _Some_ of us actually _work_ on the weekends, you know."

A pair of golden eyes focused and narrowed at the remark. "You know, if you didn't work me to the bone like some kind of half-brained labor slave, I wouldn't have to take the weekends off to recuperate."

A dark brow was cocked in amusement. "Recuperate? Come on, Ed. You're a big boy now, you should be able to handle this workload. And here I thought you were a prodigy…"

If one looked hard enough, they could probably see the smoke spewing from Ed's ears. "I…I can…shut up."

Roy smirked in triumph, though he felt slightly disappointed at the seemingly easy victory over the usually witty blond. "That's all? Maybe you do need to take a short break from work, if that's the best you can come up with."

Ed's eye twitched at the mention of the word "short." He was just about to fire off a sharp retort when he thought better of it. Instead (and much to Roy's surprise), he simply smiled and sat down across the table from his superior officer.

"You know, normally, I wouldn't let you get away with that, but since this _is_ a holiday, I think I'll let it slide," he said calmly.

"Let it slide?" Roy asked in disbelief. He was so stunned at the strange reaction that he couldn't think of anything to say. Something did catch his attention, however. "Wait, what holiday? I was unaware that today was a holiday."

Edward shrugged. "Not on this side of the Gate, but on the other side, it's St. Patrick's Day. If I wasn't here, I'd probably be…well, on the other side, doing exactly what I am now."

"Annoying me?" Roy asked smugly.

Ed narrowed his eyes at the older alchemist. "No," he said pointedly. He glanced down to see that his glass was again empty. When had he finished that?

He shrugged again. Ah well. The more he drank, the better he felt, and it would take at least one more drink to help suppress the urge to dive across the table and tackle the man in front of him.

He actually laughed _aloud_ at that thought. How amusing his thoughts were when he was slightly under the influence…

"Something funny?" Roy asked, curious to see what it was that could make the usually serious Fullmetal Alchemist giggle like that. Whatever it was, he wanted to hear it again. It was so…so…_cute_.

"Eh, nothing. Just thinking about tackling you…," Edward said, still half-immersed in his own thoughts and completely unaware of what he was doing.

The colonel shook his head, unsure if he'd heard right. He'd heard a lot of insane things in his life, but _that_ had to top the list. Not to mention that, though he could manage to keep a straight face, he could practically feel the effects of Ed's mindless banter in other less-easily concealed parts of his anatomy.

He made his decision. Wrong as it might be, he had to do something about the tension that he had felt building between him and the blond. Not only was it driving him insane, it was starting to get in the way of things that _used_ to be important to him.

Things like work.

Yes, something had to be done for the greater good. And though he'd never actually had to do such a thing, Roy Mustang was not above getting the young man drunk and having his way with him. Sure, he'd beat himself up about it later, but…

Well, that was something to be thought about as that time. _Later._

So, Roy ordered Edward a few more drinks and began to question him on this otherworld holiday. After a few rounds between the both of them, both men were feeling rather on the giddy side.

This, of course, ended up in a heated tangle of sweat-glazed limbs and misplaced kisses that neither of them really minded, since they really didn't understand what was going on. All they knew was that it felt good, and that it was _far_ overdue.


	3. Chapter 3

Rays of morning sun streamed in from in-between dark curtains, casting pools of light across two masses huddled beneath a heavy comforter.

The larger of the two masses rolled over, scratching his head and glancing at the alarm clock. It was almost noon. Thank God he didn't ever go in on Sundays…

His attention was taken from his thoughts as the smaller mass beside him began to stir, making low moaning noises and stretching before letting out a sharp howl of pain.

"What did I _do_ yesterday?" Ed said quietly, not wanting to look around him. This was definitely one of those moments that, up until that time, both Alfons and Al had managed to keep him out of. Ah well. His lucky streak couldn't hold out forever.

"I think…I know the answer to that question," Roy said slowly, reeling from the pounding in his own head. He'd hate to see what it would feel like when he tried to sit up. He glanced over at the blond, feeling a slight wave of warmth brush over him. He wasn't sure if it was the warmth from the sun or the fact that things were now different between him and the one he'd coveted for so long.

Sure, neither of them could remember a thing, but there was no mistaking it. Things had changed, hopefully for the better.

He ran his hand through his dark hair, wincing at the unusual sensitivity beneath his fingers. This was definitely a hangover he hadn't experienced before. As he looked back to the smaller male, he felt a pang of sympathy. Last he remembered, the elder Elric had been matching him drink for drink, and he'd been there for awhile before Roy had shown up. If he was feeling pained, there was no doubt in his mind that the blond was feeling it as well…perhaps worse.

Of course, he knew that Ed was no stranger to pain, but that didn't stop Roy from feeling bad for him.

"How are you feeling…Edward?" Roy said softly, trying out a less formal tone—one he was sure he could get used to, as it fell across his lips easily, leaving a fluttering feeling in its wake.

That feeling was quickly cut short by a sharp and pained response.

"What's it to you, bastard?" Edward hissed, reaching up to rub his aching skull.

Roy simply smirked. What could he really say? It didn't matter how things were going to progress between the two men as time went on…

Some things would never change.


End file.
